A Brief History of the Ebola Virus
Many people are concerned about the possibility of an Ebola outbreak in the United States. Understanding exactly how it may affect us can help us to prepare. Thus, a little historical reference can go a long way.
Looking for a fun, educational date idea? Try the Wings Over Rockies Air Museum. You can check out the history of planes as well as space together on a geeky mission.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Have a history nut on your hands? Take him or her to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Learn all about JFK and his times together.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
It sounds like something straight out of a bad racist joke, but at one point in history - 1906 to be precise - the Bronx Zoo actually put a human being on display in one of their animal enclosures. The human in question was a Congolese pygmy native. On occasion, they’d put this individual in with some monkeys and visitors would have the chance to watch them play together.
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In his 2012 "Dynasties" article, James had written,
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1947-1964
68 points. The Greatest Dynasty of All Time.
Key Figures: Casey Stengel, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Roger Maris
In terms of personnel, the 1947-1964 Yankees are no match for the Ruth and Gehrig Yankees. The Ruth/Gehrig Yankees have a Hall of Fame catcher (Dickey), one of the greatest first basemen ever (Gehrig), two Hall of Fame second basemen (Lazzeri and Gordon), a Hall of Fame shortstop (Rizzuto), at least three Hall of Fame outfielders (Ruth, DiMaggio, and Earle Combs), and at least four Hall of Fame pitchers (Gomez, Ruffing, Pennock and Waite Hoyt.) All the 1947-1964 Yankees have is Mantle, Berra, Ford, and the second half of Phil Rizzuto’s career.
But in terms of dominance on the field, the 1947-1964 team accomplished more in 18 years than the 1920-1943 team did in 24. Ruth and Gehrig were in the Yankee lineup together for ten years, and won four pennants. Mantle and Berra were in the Yankee lineup together for eleven years, and won nine pennants. They dominated their league—and the other league—to a greater extent than any other team ever has.
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And you click through the almanac ... the thing that jumps out at you is that the 1947-1964 clubs had their superduperstars at C and CF, not at RF and 1B. The 1947-64 teams then did a really good job of "Stars & Scrubs Fungibility" -- making sure that the other 6 lineups spots had decent players in them, with no gaps.
Dinner and a movie can be a fine way to pass the time, but for the couple with a hunger for knowledge, an interesting lecture is far more satisfying. Here are two educational events coming up during the first week or so of November.
Urban Fishing - Raising the Bar - The Grey Lady - Nov 5th
Doc asks why I called the Giants to win the World Series, when they were clearly second tier behind the Dodgers, Nats, Tigers and Angels in terms of on paper formidableness.
Here's my answer:
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By the way, there are "short and intense" dynasties and "longer, milder" dynasties in James' paradigm. Makes sense if you think about it. The Miami Heat under LeBron James were the former; the San Antonio Spurs under Tim Duncan, the latter. Kewl? If you ask me, 5 trophies in 15 years, and you're lethal every one of the 15 years, I'm willing to call it the Duncan Dynasty. It's a cohesive story down there, too.
That in mind, were you aware that (by James' points sytem) the St. Louis Cardinals, 2000-present (!!), are the 12th-greatest dynasty ever?
Check out their b-ref franchise history page. WOW! Playoffs 11 times ... it's a "tournament" now so 3 World Series, winning 1, I've got no gripes about them. They're pretty well a San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
What would you do if you were charged with the preservation of a National Historic Landmark that was widely believed to be haunted? Would you ignore the rumors and carry on? Resign and run in fear? The board members of the Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan don't just appreciate their museum's ghostly reputation, they embrace it... and that attitude alone has placed this museum at the very top of my list of NYC's most interesting haunted places.
Deciding where to go on a first date can be daunting, especially with so many options available in the city. Clubs, restaurants, coffee shops – all are excellent staples of budding romance. But what if you're tired of the same old thing? Throw convention to the wind (with a mean right hook) by taking your date to The Bartitsu Club of New York City.
